exploitation |
The consumptive use of any natural resources.
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Sustainable use assessment |
exploratory scenario |
See scenario.
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exploratory scenario |
Scenarios that examine a range of plausible futures, based on potential trajectories of drivers - either indirect (e.g. socio-political, economic and technological factors) or direct (e.g. habitat conversion, climate change).
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Scenarios and models assessment |
exploratory scenario |
Scenarios that examine a range of plausible futures, based on potential trajectories of drivers - either indirect (e.g. socio-political, economic and technological factors) or direct (e.g. habitat conversion, climate change).
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Sustainable use assessment |
exposure |
The state of having no protection from something potential harmful.
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Asia-Pacific assessment |
extensive forest management |
Low or no input in regeneration or site amelioration is practiced in sparsely populated regions with large forest areas, such as boreal forests (Taiga) of Canada and Siberia, and across much of the world´s major tropical forest biomes.
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extensive grazing |
Extensive grazing is that in which livestock are raised on food that comes mainly from natural grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts. It differs from intensive grazing, where the animal feed comes mainly from artificial, seeded pastures.
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Asia-Pacific assessment, Americas assessment |
extensive grazing (lands) |
A form of grazing in which livestock are raised on food that comes mainly from natural grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands and deserts. It differs from intensive grazing, where the animal feed comes mainly from artificial, seeded pastures.
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Land degradation and restoration assessment |
extent (spatial or temporal) |
see spatial scale and temporal scale”.
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Scenarios and models assessment |
externality |
A positive or negative consequence (benefits or costs) of an action that affects someone other than the agent undertaking that action and for which the agent is neither compensated nor penalized through the markets.
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Land degradation and restoration assessment, Europe and Central Asia assessment, Global assessment (1st work programme), Asia-Pacific assessment, Sustainable use assessment, Americas assessment |
externality |
an economic concept of uncompensated environmental effects of production and consumption that affect consumer utility and enterprise cost outside the market mechanism
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Invasive alien species assessment |
extinction |
A population, species or more inclusive taxonomic group has gone extinct when all its individuals have died. A species may go extinct locally (population extinction), regionally ( extinction of all populations in a country, continent or ocean) or globally. Populations or species reduced to such low numbers that they are no longer of economic or functional importance may be said to have gone economically or functionally extinct, respectively. Species extinctions are typically not documented immediately: for example, the IUCN Red List categories and criteria require there to be no reasonable doubt that all individuals have died, before a species is formally listed as Extinct (see IUCN Red List).
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Sustainable use assessment |
extinction debt |
The future extinction of species due to events in the past, owing to a time lag between an effect such as habitat destruction or climate change, and the subsequent disappearance of species.
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Global assessment (1st work programme), Global assessment (1st work programme), Europe and Central Asia assessment, Asia-Pacific assessment, Land degradation and restoration assessment, Pollination assessment |
extinction |
A population, species or more inclusive taxonomic group has gone extinct when all its individuals have died. A species may go extinct locally (population extinction), regionally (e.g. extinction of all populations in a country, continent or ocean) or glo.
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extinction |
The evolutionary termination of a species caused by the failure to reproduce and the death of all remaining members of the species; the natural failure to adapt to environmental change.
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Americas assessment |
extractive practice |
Extractive practices are defined as the temporary or permanent removal of organisms, part of them or materials derived from them, and may result in mortality of the individual to be used (hunting or whole plant harvest), but does not necessarily do so (e.g. limited collection of plant propagules or shearing and releasing of vicuna).
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Sustainable use assessment |
extractives |
Hydrocarbons (oil and gas) and minerals.
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Americas assessment |
sacred grove |
A particular type of sacred natural sites represented by patches of forest revered as sacred (Bhagwat & Rutte, 2006). Sacred groves may be revered e.g. as burial grounds (Mgumia & Oba, 2003) or sites of ancestral or deity worship (Ramakrishnan et al., 1998). There are locally-established rules that regulate how sacred groves can be used (Hughes & Chandran, 1998). Observation of those rules often contributes to the biodiversity conservation on those sites (Bhagwat & Rutte, 2006).
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Global assessment (1st work programme) |
sacred grove |
A particular type of sacred natural sites represented by patches of forest revered as sacred (Bhagwat & Rutte, 2006). Sacred groves may be revered as burial grounds (Mgumia & Oba, 2003) or sites of ancestral or deity worship (Ramakrishnan et al., 1998). There are locally-established rules that regulate how sacred groves can be used (Hughes & Chandran, 1998). Observation of those rules often contributes to the biodiversity conservation on those sites.
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Sustainable use assessment |
sacred natural sites |
Areas of land or water that have special spiritual significance to peoples and communities. They consist of natural features, ranging from entire ecosystems, such as mountains, forests or islands, to single natural features such as a tree, spring or boulder, and are very important for the conservation of nature and culture. Sacred natural sites have been managed based on indigenous and local knowledge systems, developed over long periods of time, and are source of cultural identity.
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Sustainable use assessment |
sacred natural sites |
Areas of land or water that have special spiritual significance to peoples and communities (Verschuuren et al., 2010). They consist of natural features, ranging from entire ecosystems, such as mountains, forests or islands, to single natural features such as a tree, spring or boulder, and are very important for the conservation of nature and culture. Sacred natural sites have been managed based on indigenous and local knowledge systems, developed over long periods of time, and are source of cultural identity.
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Global assessment (1st work programme) |
sacrilegious |
Involving or committing sacrilege.
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Asia-Pacific assessment |
safe trade |
export of products that are free from invasive alien species
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Invasive alien species assessment |
salinization |
The process of increasing the salt content in soil is known as salinization. Salination can be caused by natural processes such as mineral weathering or by the gradual withdrawal of an ocean. It can also come about through artificial processes such as irrigation.
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Asia-Pacific assessment, Global assessment (1st work programme) |
salinization |
The process of increasing the salt content in soil is known as salinization. Salinization can be caused by natural processes such as mineral weathering or by the gradual withdrawal of an ocean. It can also come about through artificial processes such as irrigation.
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Land degradation and restoration assessment, Americas assessment, Europe and Central Asia assessment |
satoyama initiative |
A global initiative with the purpose of realizing societies in harmony with nature through the conservation and advancement of socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS)” around the world.
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Asia-Pacific assessment |
satoyama-satoumi |
Satoyama is the Japanese term for a socio-ecological production landscape (SEPL) represented by a mosaic of different ecosystem types: secondary forests, timber plantations, farmlands, irrigation ponds, and grasslands—along with human settlements. Satoyama is managed through the interaction between ecosystems and humans to create ecosystem services for human well-being. Satoumi refers to Japan's coastal areas where human interaction over time has resulted in a higher degree of productivity and biodiversity. Foundational to both concepts is the positing of a relationship of interaction between humans and their environment, coupled with the notion that properly maintained the relationship is mutually beneficial.
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Asia-Pacific assessment |
savanna |
Ecosystem characterised by a continuous layer of herbaceous plants, mostly grasses, and a discontinuous upper layer of trees that may vary in density.
|
Africa assessment, Asia-Pacific assessment |
savanna |
Ecosystem characterized by a continuous layer of herbaceous plants, mostly grasses, and a discontinuous upper layer of trees that may vary in density.
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Americas assessment, Land degradation and restoration assessment, Europe and Central Asia assessment |
sawnwood |
Sawnwood is defined as planks, sleepers (cross-ties), beams, joists, boards, rafters, 1679 scantlings, laths, boxboards and lumber that exceed 5 mm in thickness.
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Sustainable use assessment |
scale paradox |
Process in which land use outcomes vary (often counterintuitively) according to the geographic location and spatial scale under consideration.
|
Land degradation and restoration assessment |
scale |
The spatial, temporal, quantitative and analytical dimensions used to measure and study any phenomenon. The temporal scale is comprised of two properties: (i) temporal extent - the total length of the time period of interest for a particular study (e.g. 10 years, 50 years, or 100 years); and 2) temporal grain (or resolution) - the temporal frequency with which data are observed or projected within this total period (e.g. at 1-year, 5-year or 10- year intervals). The spatial scale is comprised of two properties: 1) spatial extent - the size of the total area of interest for a particular study (e.g. a watershed, a country, the entire planet); and (ii) spatial grain (or resolution) - the size of the spatial units within this total area for which data are observed or predicted (e.g. fine-grained or coarse-grained grid cells).
|
Land degradation and restoration assessment |
scale |
The spatial, temporal, quantitative and analytical dimensions used to measure and study any phenomenon.The temporal scale is comprised of two properties:temporal extent - the total length of the time period of interest for a particular study (e.g. 10 years, 50 years, or 100 years);temporal grain (or resolution) - the temporal frequency with which data are observed or projected within this total period (e.g. at 1-year, 5-year or 10-year intervals).The spatial scale is comprised of two properties:spatial extent - the size of the total area of interest for a particular study (e.g. a watershed, a country, the entire planet);spatial grain (or resolution) - the size of the spatial units within this total area for which data are observed or predicted (e.g. fine-grained or coarse-grained grid cells).
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|
scale |
see spatial scale and temporal scale.
|
Scenarios and models assessment |
scale |
The spatial, temporal, quantitative and analytical dimensions used to measure and study any phenomenon. The temporal scale is comprised of two properties: 1) temporal extent - the total length of the time period of interest for a particular study (e.g. 10 years, 50 years, or 100 years); and 2) temporal grain (or resolution) - the temporal frequency with which data are observed or projected within this total period (e.g. at 1-year, 5-year or 10-year intervals). The spatial scale is comprised of two properties: 1) spatial extent - the size of the total area of interest for a particular study (e.g. a watershed, a country, the entire planet); and 2) spatial grain (or resolution) - the size of the spatial units within this total area for which data are observed or predicted (e.g. fine-grained or coarse-grained grid cells).
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Europe and Central Asia assessment, Asia-Pacific assessment, Americas assessment |
scaling |
Bringing model outputs to the appropriate scale, which can be done in two different directions: upscaling information from local, fine-grained resolution to global, coarse-grained resolution; or vice versa downscaling coarse-grained information to a finer resolution.
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Scenarios and models assessment |
scenario |
Representations of possible futures for one or more components of a system, particularly for drivers of change in nature and nature's benefits, including alternative policy or management options. Exploratory scenarios (also known as explorative scenarios or descriptive scenarios) are scenarios that examine a range of plausible futures, based on potential trajectories of drivers - either indirect (e.g. socio-political, economic and technological factors) or direct (e.g. habitat conversion, climate change). Target-seeking scenarios (also known as goal-seeking scenarios or normative scenarios): scenarios that start with the definition of a clear objective, or a set of objectives, specified either in terms of achievable targets, or as an objective function to be optimized, and then identify different pathways to achieving this outcome (e.g. through backcasting). Intervention scenarios are scenarios that evaluate alternative policy or management options - either through target seeking (also known as goal seeking or normative scenario analysis) or through policy screening (also known as ex-ante assessment). Policy-evaluation scenarios are scenarios, including counterfactual scenarios, used in ex-post assessments of the gap between policy objectives and actual policy results, as part of the policy-review phase of the policy cycle. Policy-screening scenarios are scenarios used in ex-ante assessments, to forecast the effects of alternative policy or management options (interventions) on environmental outcomes.|scale|.
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Africa assessment, Land degradation and restoration assessment, Americas assessment, Asia-Pacific assessment |
scenario analysis |
Quantitative or qualitative exploration of future pathways through use of scenarios.
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Asia-Pacific assessment |
scenarios |
Representations of possible futures for one or more components of a system, particularly, in this assessment, for drivers of change in nature and nature’s benefits, including alternative policy or management options. Exploratory scenarios (also known as “explorative scenarios” or “descriptive scenarios”) are scenarios that examine a range of plausible futures, based on potential trajectories of drivers - either indirect (socio-political, economic and technological factors) or direct (e.g. habitat conversion, climate change). Target-seeking scenarios (also known as “goal-seeking scenarios” or “normative scenarios”) are scenarios that start with the definition of a clear objective, or a set of objectives, specified either in terms of achievable targets, or as an objective function to be optimized, and then identify different pathways to achieving this outcome (e.g. through backcasting). Intervention scenarios are scenarios that evaluate alternative policy or management options - either through target seeking (also known as “goal seeking” or “normative scenario analysis”) or through policy screening (also known as “ex-ante assessment”). Policy-evaluation scenarios are scenarios, including counterfactual scenarios, used in ex-post assessments of the gap between policy objectives and actual policy results, as part of the policy-review phase of the policy cycle. Policy-screening scenarios are scenarios used in ex-ante assessments, to forecast the effects of alternative policy or management options (interventions) on environmental outcomes.
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Sustainable use assessment |
scenarios |
Representations of possible futures for one or more components of a system, particularly for drivers of change in nature and nature's contributions, including alternative policy or management options.
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Europe and Central Asia assessment |
scenarios |
Representations of possible futures for one or more components of a system, particularly, in this assessment, for drivers of change in nature and nature's benefits, including alternative policy or management options.
|
Scenarios and models assessment |
scenarios |
Scenarios are representations of different possible futures from a defined starting point. They are focused on highlighting or exploring drivers of change and the impacts of changes in these over a specified time frame. In doing so they enable decision-makers to anticipate potential changes and develop timely responses to these.
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Values assessment |
science-policy interface |
Environment-related SPIs are organizations, initiatives or projects that work at the boundary of science, policy and society to enrich decision making, shape their participants’ and audiences’ understandings of problems, and so produce outcomes regarding decisions and behaviours.
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Americas assessment |
scientific uncertainty |
Imperfect knowledge or data on the system being described.
|
Scenarios and models assessment |
sea ice |
Any form of ice found at sea which has originated from the freezing of sea water (sea ice does not include superstructure icing). Ice formed from the freezing of the waters of the Great Lakes will be considered the same as sea ice.
|
Sustainable use assessment, Global assessment (1st work programme) |
sea mount |
A seamount is a mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water’s surface (sea level), and thus is not an island. Seamounts are typically formed from extinct volcanoes that rise abruptly and are usually found rising from the seafloor to 1,000-4,000 m (3,300- 13,100 ft) in height.
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Asia-Pacific assessment |
sea surface temperature |
Sea surface temperature (SST) is the water temperature close to the ocean’s surface. The exact meaning of surface varies between 1mm and 20 metres below the sea surface.
|
Asia-Pacific assessment |
sea-level rise |
The average height of the ocean’s surface is higher than the daily changes of the tides.
|
Asia-Pacific assessment |
seascape |
Seascape can be defined as a spatially heterogeneous area of coastal environment (i.e. intertidal, brackish) that can be perceived as a mosaic of patches, a spatial gradient, or some other geometric patterning. The tropical coastal “seascape” often includes a patchwork of mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs that produces a variety of natural resources and ecosystem services.
|
Sustainable use assessment |
seascape |
Seascape can be defined as a spatially hetero - geneous area of coastal environment (ie intertidal, brackish) that can be perceived as a mosaic of patches, a spatial gradient, or some other geometric patterning. The tropical coastal seascape often includes a patchwork of mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs that produces a variety of natural resources and ecosystem services.
|
Global assessment (1st work programme), Asia-Pacific assessment |